YES, you read it correctly….and you probably made the same face I did when I heard the crazy story about African-American Pastors directing their congregations NOT to vote. Soooo, I had to do a little research to see what the “HOO HOO” was going on! Knowing the struggles of the Civil Rights movement, and even the Women’s Suffrage Movement, I nearly lost it for about 3.9 seconds! So, since reading is fundamental…I decided to do just that…

Martin’s ending (CNN) statement, and I quote, “Our job in the media is to inform and enlighten, not confuse. Running such a confusing, unsupported story lacking basic context and perspective does not serve the public at all.” is absolute truth. The allegations did just what they were supposed to do… stir up members of Christian faith communities. I pray that the energy created will have positive results. I am a woman who believes in Gen 50:20 and Romans 8:28, so I’m not going to stress either way the pendulum of this election swings… I just want everyone to use wisdom at the polls.

One of, if not the biggest issue the black church has with the Obama administration at this point, is his support of gay marriage. But, what is most unfortunate is the percentage of GLOBAL persons who are active in our faith communities… men and women who serve in leadership at these same churches, under the same pastors who are expressing their disgust with Obama’s decision. As a woman of faith, my friends know that I don’t condone, but I can’t condemn them for the choices they make. I KNOW that I’m not perfect, so I am not casting any stones. The word asks that we not judge (Matt 7:1-5), and that those who are spiritual we call it out, correct one another in love while RESTORING…lest WE fall (Gal 6:1)…. #FoodForThought… In Leviticus, the Bible does say that same-sex situations are an abomination, but we thank God for Jesus and should leave it in his hands!!!!

Yes, its CRAZY out here! I will say that I do not agree with gay marriage…nope, not at all…, but my opinion did not keep me from voting. I am quite sure that there has NEVER been a president that everyone agreed with EVERYTHING they stood for (except for President Bill Clinton). With that in mind I suggest that as a collective democratic body we move forward with the future in mind ;-).

Soooooo, after work I decided to maximize my morning by FINALLY getting my oil changed. Although I added two quarts 3-4 weeks ago, the truck has been running hard/loud… I’ve been getting less gas mileage, AND driving it began to feel like a chore! I was even more excited to use a coupon I managed to find on GROUPON … $35 for a Signature Oil Change (half-off)!!!

With all that excitement I grabbed breakfast and headed to the nearest Jiffy Lube to cash in on my great deal!! Coupons are a great cushion to ANY budget! The oil change comes with a tire rotation, rain-x treatment, fluid check, and vacuumed floor boards #ThankyaJesus!!! So, I pull in and explain to the mechanic that I have a GROUPON… He does his thing, and the process begins. They let me know I have a few runner break lights out, so I’m like cool… Asked if they could replace them for like $8.99, I was like, “nah, I’ll take care of it”. They proceed to ask about all these fluids and cleanings and such, and I proceed to decline respectfully, lol. Finally, the gentleman asked me if I would like the same oil I always use. I said, “sure”! I drive a HIGH mileage vehicle and the synthetic oil that comes with the GROUPON won’t cut it, so I was willing to pay the difference in the price of the oil for the better product.

They begin working to Rain-X the windshield, and I removed everything from the floor so vacuuming would be a breeze (I figured I could at least do my part… The car is wretched o_O!). They topped off my fluids and even pulled out a filter for something (I don’t quite recall), and suggested I get it cleaned. I said cool. I’ll handle that later. We were off and popping! Taking a seat inside I nibble at my breakfast, finishing just in time to hear “Ma’am, we’re done with your car!”. I’m like, “SCORE!! Absolutely perfect timing!” So, I bounce over to the counter EXCITEDabout cashing in my GROUPON and paying the difference for the oil upgrade when the fun begins….

The gentleman behind the counter said “Ma’am your total is $3?.??.” I had the same look you probably have right now…. (ummm, scue me?!). In the calmest voice possible I asked him to explain why my balance was $30+ when the GROUPON covered the cost of the procedure and I had to pay the difference of the cost of the oil upgrade. After going back and forth for a few minutes about the differential, the gentleman said, “Ma’am, an upgrade to the high-mileage oil package adds $2?.??, plus an additional $6 for the 6th quart of oil.” Wellllllllllll, when did he plan to tell me that?! I knew I’d have to pay for an additional quart (because I drive an Expedition), but where did this “upgrade charge” come from?! I am normally not the argumentative type, but I proceeded to inquire WHY I had to pay an additional $20+ when the ONLY THING THAT CHANGED was the quality of the oil. It’s the same Rain-X, same vacuum, I skipped the tire rotation, and they used the same exact fluids that would have been used to top everything off… I was utterly confused at WHY I would still end up paying almost $70 for an oil change, and I had a GROUPON!!!! By the end of our conversation I figured we had met at a common ground, and I was ready to just pay my bill and move on. But, somewhere in the discussion the gentleman decided to charge me for the GROUPON deal and the additional quart of oil. The price ended up being drastically different from what it would have been if he would have just let me pay the differential, so of course I tried to pay what I owed!! After several efforts of trying to convey to him that I want to pay the price I owed for the oil differential… (dude, I want to pay!!!), he respectfully declined and continued to review the details of the GROUPON purchase to avoid this happening in the future. During his service recovery process, a few of the things he said caused me to reflect….., and eventually repent for my attitude and behavior towards him….

To Be Continued….

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